Ed threw the doors open wide, embracing the warm sunny morning. The weather was beautiful- clear blue sunny skies. He could see the twins (and the old man must've tagged along with them again. Oh, and who was this? Another friend of theirs? An older lady, not as old-looking as Flamel, but definitely not considered young, was accompanying them. Must be Flamel's wife Perenelle, the famed Sorceress of extreme renown, then) making their way towards his house, so outside he waited.
As they drew nearer to the house, he spoke, "Welcome again, friends.
Flamel gave a stiff nod. He may have been peeved at Ed, but he had been brought up with manners and the passing centuries had only reinforced that politeness. Sophie gave a meek "Hey" and a small wave, while Josh just grinned.
Ed finally stood up, dusting off his pants and straightening his back before offering a hand to the older woman. "And if this old man is the famed Nicholas Flamel, you must be his equally famed wife and even more feared sorceress, Perenelle." She accepted his hand, but instead of shaking hands in greeting the blond lifted it to his face and lightly brushed with his lips. As everyone's mouth dropped open in shock, he gave them a cheeky smile and added, "I've heard many stories about you."
Completely unfazed and unperturbed by this unexpected turn of events, Perenelle merely raised an eyebrow at the upstart in front of her. "Oh, have you now? And are any of them good stories?"
Ed dropped her hand and stepped back, shrugging. "Not all of them good, but stories are but stories. I try not to judge people until I've met them for myself, not based on rumors and the impressions of others." His eyes roamed over the group, making eye contact with each person. Perenelle seemed to get the message, and nodded with both acceptance and approval. On the other hand, her husband was too busy fuming. Not because he was jealous, but because of the German's audacity to treat him with such rudeness, then his wife with that display!
Josh nudged Sophie. "You've got to admit, immortal or not, Ed's got balls. That guy is one smooooooth muthafucka."
"Josh!" Sophie gave a scandalized hiss.
"What?" he protested. "It's true!"
Meanwhile, Ed gestured them inwards. "My deepest apologies for my rudeness, both yesterday and today. I have no right keeping you outside like this when it is clear that you have business with me. Please, come in."
The little group trundled past him, through the open doorway, and into the house. Ed gave a mental sigh of relief. He hadn't been sure whether or not he'd get away with that little ploy of his. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, and it was always a good idea to leave a good impression on Perenelle Flamel. If his experiences were anything to go by (and his mind whispered of the cold flash of a sniper's rifle and the phantom pains of a wrench to the head), it was the females that always had the most power in any relationship. And while it was true that he didn't judge people until he met them, he had hear the stories and wasn't suicidal, Philosopher's Stone or not. He didn't fear Flamel and could treat him rudely if he felt like it (and Flamel was an arrogant pompous geezer so far), but his wife was a totally different matter and a little respect wouldn't go amiss.
And when things were all said and done, the years spent with Mustang had rubbed off on him.
By the time he entered his house, everyone had already assembled themselves in the living room. Flamel was showing the symbol tacked to the wall to Perenlle, who was busy securitizing the photos and books strewn all around them like the flotsam of a shipwreck. Sophie sat on a sofa, fidgeting, while Josh warily watched the Flamels.
Ed walked in a shifted a few of the heavier textbooks, clearing three more seats, then promptly sat himself down, his "respectful foreign stranger" mask still in place.
His "masks" were various acts and personas he had constructed in order to survive living in a different world, far from anything he knew and understood. They stretched back to his military days, where people treated him differently depending on what they perceived of him. He had honed these acting skills on his quest for the Stone (and those days seemed eons ago). The sweet meek child was met with charity, care, and a promise of free food and shelter, handy when he and his brother were short on money and friendly faces. The knowledgeable but modest curious mind was welcome to research and notes. The arrogant, prideful state alchemist had the power-hungry higher-ups desperately doing anything in order to curry his favor. A different mask for every different reason, different situation, different purpose.
And now he was dealing with strangers only preceded by their reputation. He had no clue what they wanted and what they were doing here, and he could only hope that the stories of doom and destruction were exaggerated. He was rather fond of Risemburg and its inhabitants and did not wish for harm to befall them.
But as they seated themselves around his living room, he suspected it not to be so. It was if the past 90 years had been but a dream and he a hibernating bear whose tranquil state of rest had been disturbed. He was awake now, and involved in something big, something exciting, something world-changing. Just like the good old days.
And the ones that had stirred things up, that had poked at and struck the hornets' nest, were sitting on his couch. In his living room. What did that kid that ran that creepy Gate-of-Truth shop say? "There is no such thing as coincidence, only hitsuzen." Only inevitability.
Whatever. 90 years and he still had no proof on prophecies and Fate. He was a scientist, not some Gate-damned Chosen One.
Well, if these really were the twins of the Prophecy of Doom (then again, prophecies were rarely about anything else) maybe his beliefs would be disproven or dispelled. Or not.
By this time everyone had been comfortably seated as the numerous books would allow. Ed waited until he had everyone's attention, then spoke.
"Yesterday, I promised to answer your questions, and I try to keep my promises. However," he paused for emphasis, "as the twins know, I work on the principle of Equivalent Exchange." The Flamels started and traded a quick glance. "I assume you both are familiar with the concept."
Perenelle nodded, but it was Nicholas who spoke.
"Equivalent Exchange, more commonly known as Divine Providence or Conservation of Energy and Mass, depending on context, says humans cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost." He gave a weak chuckle. "But I haven't heard those exact words in years… it was a favorite phrase of the man we're searching for. He would repeat it all the time."
Ed nodded. "Every alchemist, chemist, biologist, or physicist understands that basic theory. The object or goal a person will trade for must have equal value to what the person trades with. In this case, a question for a question and an answer for an answer."
The Flamels' gazes sharpened with interest, and they looked to the twins. Sophie tilted her head in agreement. "Sounds fair to me." They nodded, and Ed relaxed, his spine losing its rigid stance.
"Good."
Josh merely gave a slight grimace. "Sounds like we're playing a game of Twenty Questions," he joked, "or Truth-or-Dare without the dares."
The slouching German blinked, then straightened up again. "We could play that," he said, slowly, unsure. "It somewhat amounts to the same thing."
Sophie shot the two of them a bemused look, snorted, and rolled her eyes. Josh elbowed her. "Hey, I was only kidding, not suggesting."
"If you two are done," Flamel broke in, giving the twins a pointed look, "I would like to go first."
Ed nodded with assent.
"How do we know we can trust you?"
"How do I know I can trust you?" Ed retorted. He leaned forward. "I've heard the rumors, after all." He sighed, then straightened up. "But, trust is given only when returned. For this to work out, there needs to be trust on both sides. Again, Equivalent Exchange. Personally, I'm not worried or afraid of you, but I've been living in this village for a while, and I don't want harm coming to the villages here. They're simple, good people, and they don't deserve the trouble." He shook his head, his golden bangs swaying with the movement. "So what do you intend to do, should the usual follow you here this time around? Do you think I haven't heard about Paris? I should warn you, Alchemist, news travels fast, both through humans and those not mortal. Should you stir up something here, the whole world would know within the week, no matter how isolated and off the map Risemburg is. Destruction is something I'd like to keep away, if possible."
Flamel held up his hands in a placating gesture. He had seen the same expression on the faces of Palamedes and Shakespeare, and many others before that. It was the expression of a bear guarding her cubs, of someone with something to protect, something that they'd gladly attack others to keep safe. And while he didn't like Elric so far, it was a sentiment he could appreciate and admire. In addition, such people rarely would agree to willingly work for the Elders, and it wasn't wise to make enemies when it could be avoided.
"There are no intentions to bring danger to this place. In fact, we came here to escape it, to keep the twins safe. But knowing Dee and the evil creatures he serves and the foul beasts he associates himself with, he will not stop until we do, and will got to any lengths to ensure that Sophie and Josh are captured, and my wife and I killed. Should they discover our location, we'll leave immediately." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, then frowned when the thinning grey strands came loose in his hand. It was just another reminder of the borrowed time he and Perenelle were living on.
Ed seemed satisfied, but Josh knew that when that day came, things wouldn't be that simple. It was Perenelle who posed the next question. "Actually, we came to this village looking for a certain person. If you could tell us where he is, or point us in the right direction, we could be on our way and out of this town since it seems that he no longer lives here."
The German shrugged. "You can ask, but there is no guarantee I know where he went. Have you asked anyone else yet?"
Perenelle pursed her lips. "We've been looking for the past few days, but he seems to have vanished. And we can't exactly ask anyone, since we haven't seen him since prior to World War Two."
Ed mulled over this before continuing. "An immortal then, and one who previously lived in Germany. That's an almost impossible task, I'm afraid. Those who didn't support the Elders all left during that time period, and obviously they didn't leave behind any paperwork. Not many have bothered returning, having settled down in other locations by the time the war ended." He lifted his eyes to gaze blankly into the air, seeing a past long gone. "Those were bad years for many of us, mortals and immortals alike."
"Why didn't you leave?" Sophie asked, curious. Ed shrugged.
"I was going to, but then it was too late. My brother was dead, so there was no point in going to America anymore. And those immortals working for the Elders were the driving force in the government, and were keeping an eye out for any remaining immortals. If the governmental scientists got a hold of us…" his voice trailed off. The Flamels, who fully understood the implications, suppressed a shudder.
"So, you can understand why it is doubtful that I'd know this person's current whereabouts."
The two older adults traded slightly alarmed looks with the twins. They'd be back at square one with Dee and his minions hot on their heels. The Flamels were aging at a rate where everyone knew they weren't going to last long. With their allies scattered and missing, this was their only hope for aid and sanctuary. If Ed couldn't help them…
"He's an alchemist as well," Flamel added, a tad desperately. This was his last chance to protect the twins, and through them, the world.
The blonde hummed thoughtfully, leaning back into the sofa. "Well, that narrows it down a bit. There weren't many alchemists here during that time, which caused the uprising party a fair amount of grief during that whole Shamballa mess…"
Perenelle leaned forward, hands clasped, feeling a spark of hope slowly rekindle itself.
"Have you heard of the Alchemist of Light?"
Alchemist of Light. Unbidden, the words dropped from his lips. "Hohenheim," Ed whispered, eyes going wide. It was the name of someone he hadn't thought of for years.
The others saw the recognition in his eyes and heard the familiarity in his voice. Ed knew the man, knew who they were seeking.
When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy.
"Ja, I knew Hohenheim."
Knew?
"He… was a good man. Powerful and skilled, too. One of my biggest regrets as well… I wish I had understood him more and got to know him better when I was younger. All those years wasted on hate and resentment… but I can see why you'd seek his help. A good and talented alchemist."
Was a good man?
Ed's gaze sharpened. The others already knew where this was going, what his next words would be.
"But I'm afraid he died in 1923. You're too late."